3115.09 Determination of controlling child support order. - Ohio Statutes

3115.09 Determination of controlling child support order.

(A) If a proceeding is brought under sections 3115.01 to 3115.59 of the Revised Code, and only one support enforcement agency of this state or tribunal has issued a child support order, the order of that agency or tribunal shall be recognized as controlling.

(B) If a proceeding is brought under sections 3115.01 to 3115.59 of the Revised Code, and two or more child support orders have been issued by tribunals of this state or another state with regard to the same obligor and child, a tribunal of this state shall do the following:

(1) If only one of the tribunals would have continuing, exclusive jurisdiction, recognize the child support order of that tribunal as controlling.

(2) If more than one of the tribunals would have continuing, exclusive jurisdiction, recognize the child support order issued by the tribunal in the current home state of the child as controlling, but if a child support order has not been issued in the current home state of the child, recognize the child support order most recently issued as controlling.

(3) If none of the tribunals would have continuing, exclusive jurisdiction, the tribunal of this state having jurisdiction over the parties shall issue its own child support order which shall be controlling.

(C) If two or more child support orders have been issued for the same obligor and child and the obligor or the individual obligee resides in this state, a party may request a tribunal of this state to determine which order to recognize as controlling pursuant to division (B) of this section. The request must be accompanied by a certified copy of every support order in effect. The requesting party shall give notice of the request to each party whose rights may be affected by the determination.

(D) The tribunal that issued the controlling child support order under division (A), (B), or (C) of this section is the tribunal that has continuing, exclusive jurisdiction under section 3115.07 of the Revised Code.

(E) A tribunal of this state that determines by order the identity of the controlling child support order under division (B)(1) or (2) of this section or that issues a new controlling child support order under division (B)(3) of this section shall state in the order or child support order the basis upon which the tribunal made its determination.

(F) Within thirty days after issuance of an order recognizing the controlling child support order or a new controlling child support order, the party obtaining the order shall file a certified copy of it with each tribunal that issued or registered an earlier child support order. A party who obtains the order and fails to file a certified copy is subject to appropriate sanctions by a tribunal in which the issue of failure to file arises. The failure to file does not affect the validity or enforceability of the controlling order.

Effective Date: 03-22-2001